Alliance
by DarkCadence
Summary: Sango goes off on her own to fight Naraku, and the unthinkable happens. When Sesshoumaru finds her, will they be able to work together to defeat a common enemy? Or will it be something more? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Sango was starting to regret her foolish actions. He had tried to warn her, tried to stop her, but she had been so enraged that is words hadn't even registered.

"Inuyasha...Kagome...please forgive me..." she whispered, blood pouring from her chest where his claws had torn her flesh apart. She was dizzy and nauseas, completely unable to stop him from finishing her off. She closed her eyes and felt a hand wrap tightly around her throat. She struggled for a moment and then went still, one last breath being driven from her lungs. The end had come, finally, and she would feel no more pain...

_Earlier..._

_"Sango, are you insane? You can't go after Naraku alone, you don't stand a chance!" Inuyasha grabbed her arm tightly. "Just wait, we'll all be ready to go soon. Kaede said that Kagome only needs a few more days to regain her strength!"_

_The taijiya pulled her arm away from him and glared at the hanyou. "I don't have a few days! Kohaku was with him, I saw my brother! The longer we wait, the less chance I have of ever finding him again. You don't understand, Inuyasha, and you never will!"_

_He growled and threw his hands up in disgust. "You're going to get yourself killed, you idiot. We can't even beat Naraku together, what makes you think you're going to be able to do it on your own?"_

_"Because I won't have any distractions, I won't have to worry about any of my friends getting hurt. And I need to save Kohaku, even if it means losing my own life. He doesn't deserve to spend the rest of eternity as Naraku's puppet!" She was screaming now, at the top of her lungs, her voice carrying through the village. She bent down and picked her Hirakotsu up, throwing the strap over her shoulder. "You guys keep Kirara, and catch up with me when Kagome is ready. I can't just stand around and do nothing anymore!"_

_He let out a sigh, his arms dropping to his sides. "Sango, look...I know that losing Miroku has you all upset and whatever, but getting yourself killed isn't going to bring him back or save Kohaku. You need to stop and think. You don't have to do this!"_

_Sango cringed at the mention of the houshi's name. Their last battle with Naraku had been brutal, and Miroku hadn't made it out alive. She would never forget the look on his face as he had finally succumbed to the poison coursing through his body from sucking Naraku's bees into his wind tunnel. And he had done it to save her. She felt hot tears stinging at the back of her eyes and turned her face away from the hanyou. "Don't talk about that. It's over. He's gone. End of story. I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing this for me. I am not going to let that bastard get away again!"_

_Inuyasha reached out and put his hand on her shoulder but she jerked back, and he just shook his head. "Sango, do you really think that this is what he would want you to do? To risk your own life in such a stupid, pointless way? I don't want to let Naraku get away either, but we have to stick together. We can't afford to lose anyone else!"_

_She laughed. A cold, cruel, almost mournful laugh. "Easy for you to say. Kagome is still breathing, isn't she? She's going to be OK. I have no one left, don't you understand that? No one! So what does it matter if I die, as long as I take Naraku out with me? At least I will leave this world knowing that I did everything I could!" As soon as the words passed her lips, she turned around and ran, disappearing into the dark woods._

_"You better come back alive, Sango!" he called after her, and was about to follow the taijiya when he heard Kagome calling for him from inside the hut. For a moment Inuyasha was torn, but he finally decided that Sango could take care of herself. He shook his head, staring after the taijiya for a moment before going inside to tend to the miko. Everything was falling apart around him, and Kagome was all he had to hold on to._

_Sango ran until her lungs were burning and her legs could no longer hold her up. She was breathing heavily, sweat running into her eyes and making it very difficult to see. She dropped to her knees, gasping for air, finally allowing the tears to run down her cheeks. She had never felt so alone. What was she thinking, taking off on her own? She didn't really want to die, not at all. The taijiya sobbed, holding her face in her hands. Time seemed to stand still._

_Finally, her eyes burning and puffy, she managed to stop crying and got to her feet again. "I should go back," she said aloud, and picked up Hirakotsu once again. She turned to head back to the village when she felt something prickling at her senses. Immediately she turned around and found herself face to face with the man she had been looking for. "Naraku..." she said, gasping in fear._

_"Well, well, well, look what I have found myself. You seem to be quite alone, taijiya. What's the matter? Your friends didn't want to stand by you after you caused the houshi's death?"_

_That was all she needed to hear. Sango growled in anger and jumped backwards, gripping her weapon tightly in her hands. "Shut up, you bastard! I didn't kill him, you did! This is all your fault! I left Inuyasha and Kagome so that I could kill you with my own two hands! Now you will pay for everything you have taken away from me!" She raised Hirakotsu and swung wildly, but he dodged the blow easily._

_"You are a fool. The only one who will die here tonight is you!"_

_He raised himself off the ground, hovering easily and moving quickly around her. She circled, trying to keep him in her sight. She paused, eyeing him and then raised her weapon, throwing it as hard as she could. At first she thought she was going to hit him, but he deflected the bone boomerang at the last second with simply a wave of his wrist. She gasped in shock, losing control of herself for a moment, and then quickly drew her katana. He smirked, closing in on her, and she swung the blade, laughing out loud as she felt it connect with his flesh, blood spraying over her. Her confidence grew, and she pressed forward._

_"Who's going to die, Naraku?" she said, her voice shrill. She swung again expecting to be successful, but felt something wrap around her wrist. She pulled back, and felt her bones snap, screaming out in pain._

_"You are," he said, tightening his tenticle around her arm and pulling her in close to him. He raised his arm and slashed his claws across her chest, her taijiya armor shredding like silk. She screamed again, her free hand coming up to grasp at her chest. Her blood flowed through her fingers, and she felt sick._

_"You bastard! You took everything away from me, I am not going to let you kill me too!" She twisted her arm in his grasp, feeling the ends of her bones grinding together and bit her bottom lip. Slowly, the color drained from her face. She was doomed._

_"Oh, you will die, taijiya. You are no match for me. You will meet your family in hell. You should be happy!" He raked his claws across her chest again, and then across her stomach. He licked her blood from his claws and stared at her._

_Tears were falling down her face, and Sango began to regret her foolish actions. She never should have left Inuyasha and Kagome. She tried to lunge forward, to strike him once more, but her body was weak and wouldn't respond. She never should have come alone. Now, she was going to die. "Inuyasha...Kagome...please forgive me," she whispered, her eyes rolling back in her head. Then she felt him wrap another tenticle tightly around her throat, and the world went black. _

_Naraku let go of her wrist and watched her broken, lifeless body fall to the ground in a heap. He kicked her ribs hard, and she didn't move. She was no longer breathing. The taijiya was dead._

_"Good riddance, foolish human. You had to know that it would end this way." With a satisfied smile on his face, Naraku disappeared in a cloud of miasma, leaving Sango's body lying cold._


	2. Chapter 2

Rin was prattling on about picking flowers, and Sesshoumaru was doing his best not to scold the little girl. He had been trailing Naraku for weeks, and the scent was becoming stronger as they travelled. He knew that it wouldn't be long now before he would end the evil hanyou's life, once and for all. Then his lands would once again be peaceful and free, or at least as much as they ever were. It seemed the youkai that lived under his command never could get along.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin's voice floated up to him, and he felt her tugging on his kimono. He looked down at her, and simply nodded. She smiled when he acknowledged her. "Rin is tired, Sesshoumaru-sama. Could we sleep, soon?" The little girl rubbed her eyes and yawned, almost as if she were trying to prove her point.

The taiyoukai was about to answer her when suddenly the scent of fresh blood overwhelmed his senses. Human blood. Mixed with the unmistakable stench of Naraku. His enemy was closer than he thought.

"Jaken," he said, his tone harsh and calculating. "Take Rin and make camp. Do not leave until I have returned. And if any harm comes to her, you will pay dearly. With your life. Understood?"

The little toad demon nodded his head. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama," he said, bowing low. Then he quickly turned to Rin, and beckoned her to follow him.

The little girl started to protest, but one look at Sesshoumaru's face quieted her, and she slowly followed the imp. She stopped for a moment and turned around. "Be careful, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin does not want anything to happen to you."

Sesshoumaru didn't hear her, as he moved forward quickly, his strides elegant and purposeful. His hand gripped the hilt of his great sword, Toukijin, and his eyes flashed red with anger. He would finish this tonight. There was no escape for Naraku, this time. He heard a scream in the distance, and began to run. That sort of terror had to mean that his prey was close. Too close.

Moments later he entered a clearing, and growled with disappointment. Naraku had been here, only moments before, but the taiyoukai was too late. The smell of blood was overwhelming, almost to the point of making him ill, and he was about to turn and leave, cursing under his breath when he saw her body lying there. Out of simple curiosity, a way to devise what sort of strategy Naraku was employing now, he approached her, kneeling down to stare at the claw marks criss-crossing her body. And then he recognized her. The taijiya who traveled with his half breed brother. If she was here, surely Inuyasha couldn't be far away. He sniffed at the air, trying to scent the hanyou, but quickly came to the conclusion that the woman had traveled here alone. Fool. He got to his feet and turned to leave.

Tenseiga began to pulse in it's sheath, and Sesshoumaru growled in anger. He hated when the sword exerted it's will over him. What business did he have bringing the taijiya's soul back to her body? Clearly she had wanted to die, coming after Naraku alone. He took one step forward, and the sword grew hot, shaking violently. He put his hand on the hilt and withdrew it, staring at the eerie glow which was eminating from the blade.

"Damn you, father, for cursing me so," he said, and knelt down beside the taijiya's body once again. He pressed his hand to her skin. The body was still warm. Tightening his fingers around Tenseiga, he waited.

And waited.

Finally, as the sun began to peek over the horizon, he saw them. Appearing as if from nowhere, moving over her body with purpose. The pall bearer demons, come to carry her soul to the netherworld. For a moment he simply watched, wishing to defy his father's sword and allow the human to perish once and for all, but the seering heat the blade was emitting became too much for even the great taiyoukai and he finally gave in, swinging effortlessly and casting the vile youkai back to where they had come from. "Not today," he said, his voice void of emotion. He sheathed the sword once again and got to his feet. He had no reason to remain here.

Sango's eyes fluttered open, and she cried out in pain, her hands coming up to her throat. She drew in a sharp breath and screamed, her entire body shaking. She felt dizzy and nauseas, and when she tried to sit up her chest burned, blood flowing once again as she reopened the wounds, the pain causing her to fall back to the ground. The taijiya looked around frantically, trying to find Naraku, but she didn't see him anywhere. When her eyes landed on Sesshoumaru, she gasped in fear.

He simply stared at her, his eyes cold and calculating.

"S..Sesshoumaru?" she whispered, her voice hoarse after being choked by the evil hanyou's tenticles. "What are you doing here? Where is Naraku?"

He remained silent, unmoving, not taking his golden orbs off of her form for a moment.

She cringed, uncomfortable with the way he was staring at her. Her eyes drifted to the sword hanging from his belt, and suddenly it clicked in her mind. "Did you...save me? Did Naraku...kill me?" she asked, her voice shaking, tears threatening to fall from her chocolate eyes once again.

The taiyoukai nodded slowly. "You should not be so careless, foolish human. If you allow yourself to be defeated again, even my Tenseiga cannot save you." He turned on his heel, his white kimono flowing around his form, and began to walk away. He had no desire to speak with her any further.

Slowly, Sango managed to get to her feet, wincing with every movement. "Please...wait. Don't leave me here alone," she said pleadingly. "I'm afraid..."

He growled in annoyance, but turned around to face her once again. "You should fear me, taijiya. I have no use for you. I could very easily kill you at any moment. You are weak. Return to my filthy brother and his wench. I have better things to do." His eyes locked with hers, and the raw emotions he saw there made him feel...what? Compassion? Impossible. Loathing? Perhaps. He couldn't be sure. Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly, the movement too subtle for her to see, and turned his back to her once again.

She took a few steps forward and knelt down on the ground at his feet, bowing her head slightly. Hot, stinging tears were falling from her eyes, but she didn't care. Let him think she was weak, what did it matter? "Then at least allow me to...thank you, for bringing me back from death," she said, keeping her eyes focused on the ground.

"I have no need for your gratitude. It is a worthless, human emotion, and means nothing to a taiyoukai such as myself. Do not waste your time. You should rejoin your...friends...quickly. You are in no condition to be wandering alone."

Her heart sank. How could she go back to the village? How could she face Inuyasha after the way she had acted? "I...I can't go back to them. I can't face them after the things that I said. I was so hurtful..." She stopped herself, her mind reeling when she remembered who she was talking to. The great lord of the Western Lands surely wouldn't care how embarassed a simple human taijiya felt. "I'll be fine, on my own." She stood once again, and moving very slowly, gingerly, bent to retrieve her weapon. Her tears intensified from agony as she lifted the heavy bone boomerang over her shoulder, the strap cutting directly across the gashes in her chest. Sango forced herself to straighted her shoulders, and turned, taking a few steps deeper into the forest before falling to her knees. Her scream pierced through the dawn air, and she pounded her fists into the ground. "Goddammit!"

Sesshoumaru turned to look at her, and felt a pang of empathy in his heart. He understood what it was like to desire revenge. It was what fueled his very existence, his desire to kill his brother, Inuyasha, and avenge their father's death. He furrowed his brow slightly, as if deep in thought, and then spoke, his voice cold but with a slightly caring undertone. "I cannot in good conscience leave you here to die, again. You may accompany me until your wounds have healed. I am sure that Rin would enjoy some human company. But be forewarned; as soon as you are well enough to travel on your own, I will no longer allow you to follow me. Do you understand?"

Sango blinked several times and then turned her eyes to his face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she wasn't sure she could trust him, but what choice did she have? "I understand," she said, slowly getting to her feet. "I will not burden you, I promise."

"Very well," he said, turning around. "Come then."

He began to walk back down the forest path in the direction he had come, and Sango had to practically run to keep up with him. Every step she took jarred her wounds, and she felt warm blood flowing down her body. She felt herself getting dizzy, bile rising in her throat, and she had to stop, doubling over in pain. Suddenly, the taijiya vomited violently, blood mixing with the contents of her stomach splashing over the ground. The taiyoukai growled, the foul stench burning his sensitive nose, but he stopped and turned around, looking down at the frail human woman before him. Her face was pale, and her body was shaking.

Very slowly, reluctantly, he bent to down beside her and lifted her into his arms, holding her body against his chest. She moaned in pain at the movement, but didn't speak. She turned her chocolate eyes to his face, her expression one of both fear and surprise, and then passed out, her body going limp in his arms. A look of slight concern marred Sesshoumaru's features for a fleeting moment, though he didn't understand why. _She is only a human. You have no need to be concerned for her. She is weak. You are only doing this to use her against Naraku and Inuyasha as bait, nothing more. _His mind tried hard to convince him that this was true, but a part of him resisted. Before he had time to reason any further, however, he caught Naraku's scent on the air again, and knowing that if the dark hanyou were to happen upon him and the taijiya again while she was unconscious and weakened that she would surely die, he took off towards his camp, leaping into the air almost as if he were flying. He kept a tight grip on Sango's body, feeling almost protective of her, though he would never admit it. _She will be useful to me._


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome was furious.

"Inuyasha, how could you just let Sango take off by herself? She can't face Naraku alone, she'll be killed!" The young miko coughed, doubling over.

Inuyasha sighed. "Well it's not exactly like she wanted me to follow her, and you know I couldn't stop her! She would have hurt me!" He got up from where he had been sitting next to Kagome's mat and began pacing around the room. "Don't you think I'm worried about her too? But you were calling me, you needed me, and Sango is a big girl, she can take care of herself."

Kagome managed to catch her breath and glared at him. "Do I look like I'm going anywhere? No, I'm not! I am not the one who really needed you, Sango is! Do you have any idea what she must be going through right now, after losing Miroku like that? You and I were all she had left, and now we've let her down too!" She pushed the blanket off of her body and sat up, every movement taking great effort.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't go anywhere, you need to rest!" he yelled at her, grabbing her shoulders.

She shrugged him off, and struggled to her feet. "I'm FINE! We can't leave Sango out there alone, and you're obviously not going to do anything. I'm going after my best friend, and there isn't anythin you can do to stop me!" She wavered a little, trying to get her balance, and took two steps. Then she fell over, Inuyasha easily catching her in his arms.

"Dammit, Kagome, you can't even stand up!" he said, lifting her onto his back. "I'll go after Sango if you lie back down, OK? It's not like I want her out there alone with everything that has been going on lately. Naraku is stronger than he's ever been."

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "No, I'm going with you. I don't want you out there alone, either. You can just carry me, and I'll be fine. Kaede said it would only be a few days before I was well enough to continue anyway."

The hanyou opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. She probably wouldn't sit him while she was on his back, but he wasn't going to take the chance. "Fine, fine, you can come with me, OK? But if we run into trouble I want you to stay out of sight, got it?"

"Thank you," she whispered, and reached one of her hands up to rub his ear gently.

"Keh, don't thank me yet. And don't do that!" he said, growling under his breath. What was it with her and his ears, anyway? "We still don't know where she went, or what we're going to run into."

She nodded against his back, putting her arm around his neck again. "Come on, let's go. You should be able to track her, shouldn't you?"

He started to walk, nodding to her. "Yeah, I can pick up her scent easily," he said, and started to sniff the air outside. He was glad she was on his back and couldn't see his face, because he had caught the scent of blood, Sango's blood, and couldn't keep an uneasy expression for forming across his features. Suddenly, he took off running, and Kagome had to grab hold of the front of his haori to keep from falling off his back. _Kami, Sango, what the hell did you get yourself into? Please be alright, I don't think I could forgive myself if anything happened to you..._

Sango felt like she was floating. She forced her eyes open, and only saw a blur. She blinked a few times, trying to get the scenery to come into focus, but it didn't work. She lifted her head slightly, and realized there was a pair of strong arms holding her. Looking up, she came face to face with Sesshoumaru, and panic began to rise in her soul. What was she doing with him? She gasped, and began to struggle, trying to get away, but then became very still when she realized they were quite a ways off the ground.

He had felt her movement, and looked down to meet her eyes. "You are afraid, taijiya. Why?"

She didn't know what to say. She wanted to snap back at him, remind him that he had told her that she should fear him, but in her current situation she didn't think that would be wise. "I haven't exactly been having a good time lately, have I?" she answered, more sorrow than malice in her voice.

"Hn," was his only response.

She shifted around against his chest and stared at the ground below them. "Where are we going?"

"To find Jaken and Rin. I asked them to set up a camp. We will stay there for the night, and continue after Naraku in the morning."

Before she had a chance to answer, the ground suddenly began getting closer to them at a rapid pace, and she squeezer her eyes shut. She was used to flying on Kirara, but at least them she was in control. With Sesshoumaru...

And then they were on the ground. He immediately began walking, without missing a stride, and she opened her eyes. She could see a small fire in the distance, and then spotted two small figures, one lying on the ground, the other sitting on the other side of the fire. The taijiya felt tears prickling at her eyes again. Even Sesshoumaru had "friends." She was now alone.

As they approached, Rin awoke, almost as if she could sence the taiyoukai's presense. She squealed with delight and got to her feet, running towards him. When she spotted Sango, and saw all the blood caked to her body, she stopped in her tracks. "Sesshoumaru-sama, who is this?" she asked with childlike innocence.

"She will be travelling with us for awhile, Rin. That is all you need to know."

The little girl nodded, and proceeded to tug at his kimono. She looked up at Sango. "You're hurt," she whispered.

Sango felt a pang of guilt run through her. She didn't want this little girl to worry about her. "I'll be fine," she said, forcing a smile.

Rin smiled too. "You're a human, aren't you?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru set the taijiya down on the ground, easing her into a sitting position. She turned her head to smile at him in thanks before answering the little girl. "Yes, I am. I am a demon slayer, and Sesshoumaru-sama saved my life. I owe him a lot," she said.

Rin nodded. "Sesshoumaru-sama saved Rin too."

"Rin, that is enough questions for tonight. You and the taiiya both need to rest, and I need to speak with Jaken."

The tone of the taiyoukai's voice caused the little imp's head to whip around, his eyes filled with fear. "Y...Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama," he said, walking over to stand beside his master.

Rin went and sat down next to Sango, a worried look on her small, innocent face. Once again, Sango tried to smile, and laid down on the dew covered grass. The little girl sprawled out next to her, careful not to bump the other woman's damaged body. She gently laid her arm across the taijiya's neck and closed her eyes. Sango turned her head, watching as Sesshoumaru and Jaken disappeared into the dark night, and then within minutes was asleep herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Inuyasha followed Sango's scent to the forest clearing, and growled when it mixed with the scents of both Naraku and his brother, Sesshoumaru. Setting Kagome down carefully on her feet, he walked forward, not really sure he wanted to know what had happened. It was dark, the moon hidden behind a mass of clouds, but his nose didn't steer him wrong. He knelt down over the spot where Sango's body had fallen, and touched the ground, her blood coating his finger.

"Inuyasha, what is it? What happened here? Where is Sango?" Kagome asked, fear apparent in her voice. When he remained silent, she walked forward and knelt down next to him. "Please, talk to me. Tell me what's going on!"

He turned to look at her, quite relieved that she still couldn't see the expression on his face. "Well, obviously Sango isn't here anymore. But she was..." He got to his feet, sniffing at the air. "And she wasn't alone. Naraku was here...so was Sesshoumaru."

Kagome gasped and stood up, wavering slightly and leaning against him for support. "Naraku and Sesshoumaru? What were they both doing here? Sango won't have stood a chance if they were working together..." Tears sprung forth from her eyes, and she clung to him, sobbing into his haori. "Inuyasha, she can't be dead. Sango can't be dead!"

He wrapped his arms around her. "She's not dead. I know that much. But I don't know where she is..." he said. "We should go back to the village, there's no way we're going to find her in the middle of the night. And I don't like having you out here with Naraku and my brother close by, I won't let anything happen to you."

She shook her head against his chest. "No, I'm not going back until we find Sango. We can't just leave her out here alone, who knows what happened to her? What if she's hurt?" Then the clouds shifted, and the moon's soft light filtered down through the trees. Kagome looked down and saw the blood covering the ground, and screamed. "Please..please please don't tell me that's Sango's blood, oh God please..."

Inuyasha wanted to lie to her, but the look in her eyes kept his mouth shut. All he could do was nod and swing her gently onto his back again. "She's still alive, Kagome, you have to trust me on this one, OK? And we will find her." He began to move forward, his nose to the wind. "She isn't with Naraku...his scent goes off in the other direction...that means..." He broke out into a run, tearing through the underbrush so fast that she had to wrap her arms around his neck so tightly she was almost choking him to remain in place.

"Oh God...Sesshoumaru..." was all Kagome could whisper.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, what was it you wanted to speak with me about?" asked Jaken, following behind the great taiyoukai about three steps. It always made the little imp nervous to be alone with is master, especially when he could tell that Sesshoumaru was clearly aggitated.

"Naraku has escaped me, again," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice even and devoid of emotion.

Jaken nodded, even though he knew the taiyoukai had his back to him. "I am sure it will be no trouble for you to find him again."

"He is very cunning. Even this Sesshoumaru must think of a plan before going in to battle him."

"Then it is the plan which you wished to speak about, my lord?" the little imp asked.

"It is the taijiya," Sesshoumaru replied. "When I tracked Naraku down, I found her lying dead. He killed her. For him to do so on his own, and not use one of his pathetic incarnations tells me that she must either be meaningful to him or be incredibly powerful."

Jaken listened intently, hoping that he would get more of a response, but when he didn't, he decided to question the taiyoukai further. "So you brought her back to life, with Tenseiga. But why? She is only a human, she is not worthy of your aid!"

"Because I plan to use her."

Jaken still didn't understand. "But why did you have to bring her back here? Isn't one human travelling with us enough?"

Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and glared down at the little imp. "Are you questioning my choices, Jaken?"

He froze in his track, shaking his head and waving his hands. "N..no not at all, Sesshoumaru-sama! I would never! I was simply saying that surely you understand that having her with us will be a burden..." Jaken just couldn't make his mouth stop running. "It's bad enough that I have to look after Rin all the time, who is going to care for the filthy taijiya? She is clearly injured..." With a loud grunt, Jaken fell flat on his face as Sesshoumaru's foot connected with his backside, sending him flying through the air and skidding across the ground.

"Do not speak to me in such a manner ever again," said the taiyoukai coldly. "She will heal, and she will not be a burden. She is travelling with us willingly in the hopes that I will help her to avenge her family against Naraku." Then without explaining himself further, he turned again and began to walk back to their camp. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon, and he wanted to leave as soon as daylight came. There was no time to waste.

Jaken scrambled to his feet and followed as quickly as he could, mumbling under his breath about how unfairly he was treated and stupid humans...


	5. Chapter 5

Sango sat up with a start at the sound of someone's voice calling her name. She rubbed her sleep filled eyes with the back of her hand and looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. The sun was barely visible above the horizon, and so it was hard for her to tell if she was only seeing shadows or if there was really someone there. The taijiya glanced down beside her, noticing that Rin hadn't moved a bit when she had sat up, and was grateful that the little girl, at least, would be able to get some rest.

She rose to her feet slowly, every fibre of her being aching in protest. The dried blood which caked her body made her feel disgusting, and she half heartedly wondered if there was a hot spring nearby in which she could clean herself up a bit. She also wondered whether Sesshoumaru was going to return or not...Gathering Hirakotsu from the ground, she turned and walked towards the forest. She needed to think, and she didn't want to wake Rin.

Before she had a chance to get very far, she saw them, running towards her. Her heart sank. The last person she wanted to see right now was Inuyasha, but there he was, Kagome clinging to his back and calling out to her in a panic. Sango didn't move, and her eyes lowered to the ground.

"Sango! You're alive!" the miko cried out, dropping from Inuyasha's shoulders and running to her, throwing her arms around the taijiya's neck before pulling back and eyeing her cautiously. The tore taijiya's garb, the dried blood..."Oh my God, Sango...what happened to you?"

She didn't get a chance to answer because right at that moment Inuyasha's hand closed tightly around her arm, causing her to yelp in pain and jerk back. But he didn't let go. "Sango, what the hell is wrong with you? You know we thought you were dead! Why did you run off like that, and why the hell did you end up here with Sesshoumaru instead of coming back to find us?" His eyes flashed with anger, and he stared at her, daring her to give him the wrong answer.

"I...Inuyasha..." she stammered, tears running down her cheeks. "You...you don't understand..." she whispered.

"You're damn right I don't understand! How could you..."

"Inuyasha! Sit!"

He hit the ground hard, nearly dragging the taijiya down with him. She lost her balance, and fell to her knees, sobbing. A low, angry growl escaped from the hanyou's throat. "Kagome! What did you do that for?"

"Inuyasha, stop being ignorant! Can't you see that you were only making things worse for Sango? You need to give her a chance to explain before you go off on her!" Kagome knelt down beside the taijiya, and pulled her into an embrace, whispering soothingly into the other woman's ear. "Shh...Sango, everything is alright now. Just tell us what happened."

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for her to recount the story of what she had been through in the past day. She kept her eyes on the ground the entire time, but gasps and cries of worry coming from Kagome and a shocked silence from Inuyasha told her all she needed to know without looking at their faces. When she was finished, she pulled her knees up to her chest and looked at them both. "I owe Sesshoumaru my life."

Almost as if on cue, the taiyoukai appeared out of nowhere, standing over the three of them and glaring at his half brother in anger. "You have no business here. Her life belongs to me now. Leave."

Inuyasha got to his feet, drawing Tessaiga from it's sheath in one movement. "Idiot! Why would she want to stay with a cold hearted bastard like you when she has friends? She belongs with us, not you!"

Sesshoumaru stood, silent and unmoving. Sango and Kagome quickly moved out from between the two brothers, waiting to see what would happen next. They both expected a fight, and neither was in any condition to do anything about it. They were helpless.

The hanyou didn't move. He was shocked at the fact that the taiyoukai hadn't yet drawn his weapon. "Heh, seems like you've gone soft. Normally, you'd have tried to take my head off more than a few times by now." He turned at looked at the two women who were standing several yards away. "Come on, let's get out of here."

A flash of metal and white silk moved through the air, and Inuyasha barely had a chance to bring Tessaiga up to block the blow before Sesshoumaru was on top of him, growling and snarling. "I will show you soft, foolish hanyou. How dare you challenge this Sesshoumaru?"

Metal clashed against metal loudly, a blur of red and white flashing against the dawn sky. Kagome cried out, her body shaking, clearly worried that this time Inuyasha had gone too far. The look on her friend's face caused Sango to become very angry, and the next thing she knew she was moving forward to stand between the two of them.

"Stop it, both of you, now! Dammit, hasn't there been enough bloodshed, enough pain and loss and death? Just stop fighting!"

Much to her surprise, the fight stopped just as quickly as it had started, and Inuyasha, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were all staring at her. She felt unbelievably uncomfortable, unsure of what to do next. Kagome moved to stand next to the hanyou, leaning her back against his body. Anger flashed over the taiyoukai's face, and Sango felt suddenly afraid. But she had started this, so she would finish it.

"I don't belong to anyone!" she screamed, clenching her fists at her sides. "I am my own person, and I make my own decisions! And I am choosing to stay here, with Sesshoumaru. I owe him that much for saving my life!"

Kagome gasped in shock. Inuyasha growled. A strange, pleased expression formed on Sesshoumaru's face. The taijiya stood tall, as if daring any of them to question her words and her choice.

It was Inuyasha who made the first move. Roughly, he grabbed Kagome by the wrist and threw her onto his back. She yelped, not taking her eyes off of Sango for a moment. "You're a fool, Sango. If you stay with him, you're only throwing your life away. But I'm tired of arguing with you. Don't come crying to me when my dear brother lets you down, because I'm through with you!" He turned suddenly and took off, leaving Sango to stare after them. She hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye to Kagome...

"A wise decision, taijiya," said Sesshoumaru, his golden orbs never once leaving her figure. He moved forward slightly and placed his hand on her arm. "Come. You need to rest. We will leave tonight after the sun has set and it is safe to travel."

She was in shock. Unable to speak. Unable to cry. All she could do was follow him, wondering what had come over her. Maybe Inuyasha was right. Maybe she was throwing her life away. But deep down, she knew she had made the right choice, if for no other reason than that she truly did owe her existence to the taiyoukai. Fighting by his side, serving him as best she could, was the only way she could think of to repay him for what he had done. One day, she hoped, perhaps her friends would understand.


	6. Chapter 6

Jaken and Rin were both waiting for them when they returned to camp. The little imp had built the fire back up and Rin sat happily munching on some berries she must have gathered while Sango and Sesshoumaru had been occupied with Inyasha and Kagome. As they approached, the taijiya saw the little girl's face light up, though she couldn't be sure if it was because of her or the taiyoukai. She got her answer as Rin ran up and threw herself around Sango's legs.

"Sango-chan! Rin was worried when she woke up and found you'd left. I didn't think you would come back!" She stared up at the older girl, satisfied that she was really there, and the moved to wrap her arms around Sesshoumaru's legs. "Rin missed you too, Sesshoumaru-sama."

The taiyoukai didn't say a word, but he didn't push the little girl away, either. Sango thought that she almost saw a smile curl his lips, but it faded so fast that she couldn't be sure. She let out a soft sigh, and moved to sit by the fire. The morning air was chilly, and she shivered slightly, her thoughts once again turning to finding a hot spring. Her hair was matted with dirt, her clothing caked with blood.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He turned his eyes towards her.

"Do you...do you know if there is a hot spring near here? My musles are stiff and sore, and I would like to bathe."

He nodded. "Do you wish for me to show you where it is, or can I tell you the location?"

"No, just tell me where it is and I'm sure I can find it on my own." Sango desperately wanted some time to herself. Everything that had happened since the morning before was weighing heavily on her mind, and she needed to be alone with her thoughts.

"Very well. But if you try to esape from me, I will know." He raised his hand, pointing towards the stream which flowed by their camp. "Follow the stream until you see a path carved into the mountains. Climb the path, and you will find the hotspring."

She nodded her head in thanks, wanting to say something but unable to find the words. Instinctively, she shouldered Hirakotsu, her body nearly crumbling under the weight of her weapon. But she didn't want to be caught off guard, unarmed, so she gritted her teeth and endured the pain. Then she turned and walked off alone, in silence.

By the time Sango reached the spring, the sun had risen fully and was beating down on her, causing her to break out into a sweat. The taijiya had never been more thankful than she was when she realized that the spring he had directed her to was shaded by a large outcroppingof rocks overhead. She dropped her bone boomerang to the ground, and slipped out of her armor quickly and sliding into the warm water. Almost immediately she felt her muscles begin to relax, and with a soft sigh she laid her head back, closing her eyes.

_How did I end up here? How did I let this happen to me? I never should have gone after Naraku alone...but I can't change that, now. Inuyasha will never forgive me for choosing to stay with Sesshoumaru instead of going back with him and Kagome, and I really can't say that I blame him. What a fine mess I've managed to make of my life._

Sango sat up a bit, stretching her arms high above her head in an effort to work out the knots between her shoulders. She groaned outloud as her bones and muscles popped and cracked, and she felt the tension melt from her body.

_Maybe this is all for the best. Maybe with Sesshoumaru I can finally take out Naraku. There is no denying that he is stronger than Inuyasha, and it's not as if we've had any luck. Everytime we face him, we lose faith in ourselves a little bit more. And now Miroku is gone, just like my famly..._

_She felt tears stinging at her eyes, and forced herself to banish all thoughts of the houshi. There was no use dwelling on the past, now. With a deep sigh, she slid herself into the water completely, soaking her hair and rubbing at the locks vigorously to get the blood and dirty to wash away. She came up for air and immediately sank back down, her hands rubbing over her flesh, almost bruisingly. When she came up again, her eyes opened, and she let out a loud scream._

The youkai standing at the edge of the spring snarled, baring it's fangs and lunging forward, reaching out to grab at Sango's body. She shrank back, scrambling out of the water as fast as she could move, lifting Hirakotsu into her hands and swinging wildly. She felt her weapon cut deeply into the youkai's arm, and felt relief wash over her in waves, until she turned around and saw that there were three others behind her, fangs dripping, bloodlust in their eyes. She threw the bone boomerang hard, taking out the one she had injured already by slicing it in two. She ran forward, barely dodging the other youkai who were moving towards her quickly. The taijiya felt a claw on her calf and cried out as her skin was split open again. She spun around quickly, her heel driving into her attacker's gut, driving him back. But the other two were closing in fast, and she felt panic rising in her stomach. She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her weapon returned to her none too soon, and she swung it around, taking off two of their heads. Only one remained, but he was fast. A little too fast. Sango felt his hand close around her throat, and began to claw desperately at his fingers. She kicked her legs, landing blow after blow on his torso, but he held her tightly. She cried out, a low, strangled sound, and her vision began to grow foggy. With one final burst of energy, she brought both of her feet up and pushed off the youkai's body, managing, out of sheer luck, to wrench herself free, and her body flew back, landing in the hot spring with a splash. The water stung her eyes, and she struggled to push back to the surface. She broke through and gasped for air, only to be met with a sight she wasn't expecting.

Sesshoumaru was standing at the edge of the water, Toukijin drawn, his eyes blazing. She looked to the ground, and saw the last of her attackers in pieces. She gasped and stood up quickly, completely forgetting that she was bare to the world.

"How many?" he asked, averting his eyes.

Sango didn't understand, at first, why he wouldn't look at her. Then her cheeks flushed bright red, and she sank back into the spring. "There were three," she answered.

"You did well, taijiya. But I can smell your blood. Are you injured?"

She nodded. "Not badly, only a wound on my calf. I'll survive."

"Very well, we should leave this place as soon as possible. Dress yourself quickly." He turned his back, waiting for her.

Sango slid out of the water and pulled her taijiya armor onto her body. The laceration on her calf stung as the rough fabric slid over her skin, but she showed no signs of her discomfort. She got to her feet again, and moved to stand beside him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded slightly, and began to walk back towards their camp. She bend down to retrieve Hirakotsu, and found herself having to run to keep up with him. Sango stumbled and fell, her injured leg giving out underneath her, crying out as she landed on the ground. He stopped and turned, moving to lift her up, but she shook her head, pulling herself to her feet.

"Do not be stubborn, taijiya. That wound will not heal properly if you continue to walk on it before it has been tended to."

She didn't answer him. Slowly but surely, leaning on her weapon for support, she began to walk forward, without looking back to see if he was following.

_She is stronger than I thought. And stubborn. For me to be able to smell that much blood on her, the wound must be deep. And yet she is standing on her own two feet. A strong woman, indeed._

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He must not view her as anything more than a tool, a pawn in his game. For him to show any other emotion towards her would be dangerous. Ridiculous. The taiyoukai caught up with her quickly and walked beside the taijiya, his expression unreadable, but uncertainty nagging at the edges of his mind. Perhaps he had gotten more than he bargained for...


	7. Chapter 7

Inuyasha and Kagome returned to the village shortly after dawn. The hanyou carried the miko to their hut, but before they were able to go inside, Shippou came running out of Kaede's home, waving his arms frantically.

"Kagome! Inuyasha! Where did you go? We were so worried!"

Kagome slid down off of Inuyasha's back, and bent down to hug the little kitsune. "We're alright, Shippou. We just had some things to take care of."

"Keh. And they got taken care of, alright," muttered Inuyasha under his breath.

Kagome shot him a look that clearly said "shut up" and turned back to Shippou. "We didn't mean to worry you, but there wasn't any reason to wake you."

Shippou's eyes ran up and down Kagome, making sure that she was truly unharmed, and then he turned to watch Inuyasha pacing back and forth. "What's the matter with him?" the kitsune asked. Then he noticed that someone was missing. "Hey! Where's Sango?"

The miko opened her mouth to answer, but she was cut off by the sound of the hanyou's voice. "Sango's gone, OK runt? I don't want to hear her name again. As far as I'm concerned, she might as well be dead."

Shippou's face fell, and he looked as if he was about to cry. Kagome picked him up and cradled him in her arms. "Sango is fine, Shippou, don't worry. She's just...she needed some time alone. I'm sure she'll be back with us soon."

"Well if you're going to tell the kid anything, at least tell him the truth!" Inuyasha growled angrily. "The stupid taijiya has decided that she's better off with my bastard of a brother. She's travelling with Sesshoumaru now." His eyes flashed red with anger at the mere thought. "So just forget about her, OK? We don't need her anyway. We can defeat Naraku on our own."

Shippou started to say something, but the look on Inuyasha's face kept him silent. Instead, he buried his face against Kagome and started to cry. Kagome glared at Inuyasha, but she too remained quiet. The hanyou threw his hands up in disgust.

"What? It was her choice, and she chose to betray us! Goodbye and good riddance, if you ask me. If she would rather be with a cold hearted, backstabbing asshole like my brother, let her. Who cares?"

"Inuyasha, you know that's not it! But he did bring her back from the dead, and you know how Sango is! She feels like she owes him something, now, and all she has to give is herself and her services to help him fight against Naraku! I'm sure she'll come back soon!" Kagome looked as if she were about to break into tears, too. After all, she and the taijiya were best friends, almost like sisters. Kagome wouldn't have anyone to talk to when Inuyasha annoyed her, now.

The sound of their argument brought Kaede out of her hut. "What are ye all yelling about? And what do ye mean Sango has joined with Sesshoumaru? Surely ye must be joking, she's smarter than that."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nope, saw it with my own eyes. We asked her to come back, and she flat out said no. Said she was going to say with him. Idiot..." He sat down on the ground and turned his back to them.

"Kagome? Is this true?" asked Kaede, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm afraid it is, Kaede-sama. Sango took off on her own last night, and ran into Naraku. She was...she was killed, and Sesshoumaru brought her back with Tenseiga. Now she feels like she owes her life to him, and so she has decided to fight by his side, to repay him for what he did for her." Tears were welling up in Kagome's eyes again, and she set Shippou on the ground, then walked over to stand beside Inuyasha.

"Well, if that is the case, I cannot say I am surprised. Always very proud, that taijiya. Of course she feels as if she owes her allegiance to Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha growled and got to his feet. "It doesn't matter what he did for her, or how proud she is! She doesn't belong with him, she belongs with us! We all started this together, and we should have finished it that way! Especially after what just happened to Miroku!"

The mention of the houshi's name finally broke Kagome, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing into her hands. Shippou looked as if he were about to run over to her, but Kaede picked him up by the tail and turned to go back inside the hut.

"Hey, what are you doing? Kagome is crying! Let me go!" the little kitsune cried, kicking violently.

"Come inside and help me make breakfast, Shippou. Kagome and Inuyasha need some time alone," answered Kaede, and without waiting for a reply she entered her hut and closed the door.

Inuyasha simply stared at Kagome as she sobbed. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, and he knelt down beside her and gathered her into his arms. "Hey, Kagome, it's gonna be alright. I'm sure he won't hurt her, and once we defeat Naraku she won't have any reason to stay with him, right?"

Kagome pulled her hands away and stared at the hanyou. "Do you really believe that?" she asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

The hanyou nodded. "Sure. And if she doesn't come back after we kick Naraku's ass, I'll drag her back myself. No way I'm letting her stay with that rotten taiyoukai forever."

The miko did her best to smile, and leaned into him. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she whispered.

"What are you thanking me for?" he asked, truly bewildered.

"For knowing the right thing to say," she replied, staring into his eyes.

"Oh..uh..sure, you're welcome," he answered, his voice sounding slightly nervous.

Kagome tilted her head up, and leaned in slightly, but before she could complete the intended action, Shippou came running out of the hut. "Hey, Inuyasha! Kagome! Breakfast is ready!"

Inuyasha stood up quickly, pulling Kagome to her feet. She sighed softly, her cheeks flushed, but if he noticed, or had any idea what she was about to do, he didn't let on. "Hey, kid, don't eat it all before we get there!" he yelled, dragging Kagome along behind him.

_Only Inuyasha would be distracted by something as simple as food,_ Kagome thought to herself, smiling softly. She had waited this long, what did it matter if she had to wait a little bit longer?


	8. Chapter 8

Sango collapsed to the ground next to the fire as soon as they returned to camp. Her leg felt as if it was on fire, and her armor was soaked through with blood. _So much for being clean_, she thought to herself, hissing under her breath as she rolled the leg of her taijiya's garb up over the wound. It was deeper than she had thought, and still bleeding quite badly. She looked around, trying to find something to use as a bandage, but nothing caught her eye. _Dammit, I could really use Kagome right now. _The taijiya sat back carefully, doing her best to keep her leg out of the dirt.

Rin and Jaken both stood silent, staring at the taijiya, barely noticing that Sesshoumaru was staring at both of them.

"It is not polite to stare," he said, and the imp and the little girl jumped, startled by the sound of his voice.

"S..sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," said Rin, her voice low. Jaken merely shook his head. "What happened to Sango-chan? She's hurt, again!" Rin's voice was thick with worry.

"That is none of your concern, Rin. The taijiya will be fine." He turned to Jaken. "Go down to the stream and fetch some fresh water. Her wound needs to be cleaned.Take Rin with you." Jaken nodded, and took the little girl by the hand, hurrying off to do as he was asked. Then the taiyoukai turned to Sango. "You will not move, do you understand? You will allow Jaken and Rin to gather food for you, and tend to your wound. Until it is fully healed, I do not want you on your feet. At all."

Sango glared up at him. "I am hardly weak, Sesshoumaru. I am not going to allow a little girl and an imp to wait on me hand and foot just because I was stupid enough to get myself injured!" To prove her point, she rose to her feet slowly, wincing as she put weight on her injured leg. Then a white blur passed in front of her vision, and she felt a hand close tightly around her throat. Her leg gave out and she lost her balance, her hands flying up and clenching tightly around his wrist to keep as much pressure off of her windpipe as possible.

"Do not disobey me, fool. I may have brought you back from death, once, but should you choose to cross me, I will not hestitate to send you to the underworld, permanently. Do you not understand that your life belongs to me now? That you are indebted to me, forever?" Sesshoumaru's golden eyes stared into her chocolate orbs, filled with anger, and he squeezed his hand around her neck a bit tighter, his claws digging deep into her flesh.

Sango nodded weakly, and opened her mouth to speak, but he was holding her too tightly. She felt her eyes start to roll back in her head, and the edges of her vision went dark. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, he let go and she fell to the ground, landing hard on her hands and knees, gasping for air. "Why don't you just...kill me then?"

He glared down at her. "I have my reasons, taijiya. And they are not for you to know. In time, perhaps you will come to understand your place. Now, I must leave. I have business to attend to. If I do not find you here, in this very spot, when I return this evening, you will not live to see the sun rise again." Then he turned and walked off without a word.

Sango turned over, rubbing her throat and drawing in deep breaths. Her first instinct was to run. Fast. Far. But she knew that she couldn't. She knew that he would find her, kill her, just as he said he would. She rolled onto her side, wrapping her arms tightly around her chest and staring off after him, bewildered. After a short while, exhaustion finally took over, and the taijiya's eyes closed, falling into a deep but restless sleep.

Sesshoumaru moved quickly. He had no clear destination in mind, but he needed to get away from her. Far, far away. The taijiya was far too stubborn, far too strong willed, and would not be easily controlled, even by a taiyoukai such as himself. This did not bode well for his plan. How could he use her against Naraku, use her as bait, if she wouldn't cooperate? He needed to find a way to make her submit. But how?

Without realizing it, he had been travelling toward his castle. A trip that would have taken him days, travelling with Rin, Jaken, and Sango, had taken him only a few hours on his own. The sight of the solid, stone structure was most welcome, as this was the only place where he truly felt at ease. He could let his guard down, if only slightly, and gather his thoughts. He walked through the gates, ignoring the many greetings he received from his people. He wasn't here to socialize.

Sesshoumaru moved easily through the hallways, arriving at his chambers with little interference. He walked inside, closing the door tightly behind him, and moved over to stare out the window. He controlled the lives of so many, and yet he could not bend one simple human's will to his own. It was very frustrating.

_I need to gain her trust._

With other youkai, that was simple. All he needed to do was provide for them, make sure that the lands were safe, and they trusted him completely. But Sango had no reason to trust him. He had just tried to end her life. He was planning on using her for his own gain, and then casting her aside.

_There has to be some way to win her over without comprimising myself and my goals._

He didn't understand humans at all. Moreover, he didn't understand women. And she was both.

_How can I make a human female trust me? What can I do for her? If she does not trust me, then all of this has been for nothing. I have wasted my time._

He remembered how desperate she had seemed to be clean. Perhaps there was something he could work with, in that. Her taijiya's garb was filthy. She would need something else to wear. He turned away from the window, and walked into what had once been his mother's chambers. A room he had not entered in years.

Everything was just as she had left it, when she had died. His father had long since abandonned them for his human wench, and Sesshoumaru had been busy trying to keep his lands under control in his father's absense. There had never been any time, or reason, for him to change anything here.

Lying on the bed was a dark blue, silk kimono. It had belonged to his mother, years ago. He moved over and picked it up, running his fingers absently over the fabric. Surely this would be more comfortable to the taijiya than the stiff fabric of her armor. He turned and left the room, taking the kimono with him. He had no other ideas, and perhaps even this small gesture of...humanity...would go a long way toward earning Sango's trust. If not, he could always dispose of her. It would be so simple.

_Then why did I bring her back from death? Why did I not just leave her be?_

He shook his head, and left the castle quickly. It was all just a means to an end...


	9. Chapter 9

Rin was skipping along ahead of Jaken, her arms filled with bright yellow flowers she had picked on their way to the stream. The little imp was struggling to carry the heavy clay jug which he had filled to the top with water, and had fallen a good ways behind the little girl.

"Rin, please wait for me!" he called, doing his best to pick up his pace and not spill any of the water. He really didn't want to have to go all the way back. "Sesshoumaru-sama will not be pleased if he finds out you haven't been listening to me!"

Immediately upon hearing the taiyoukai's name, Rin stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face Jaken, nearly dropping her flowers. She glared at the little imp and tapped her foot impatiently. "Hurry up, Jaken! I want to get back and show Sango-chan the flowers I picked for her. I'm going to make her a wreath, to make her feel better. I feel bad for her, she keeps getting injured, and she seems so sad."

Jaken stumbled up next to her and gave the little girl a dirty look. "There is no reason for you to feel bad for the taijiya. She brought all of this upon herself, and I don't understand why she has to be with us, anyway. The last thing we need is another human slowing us down." He shook his head and kept walking. "Come on, Rin. We need to get back before Sesshoumaru-sama wonders what has taken so long."

She frowned and stayed still for a moment, finally following a few paces behind the little imp. "Jaken, she isn't going to slow us down. She's strong, she can help us!"

The little girl looked up and saw the fire appear in the distance and broke out into a run, leaving him to shake his head. He could hear her talking excitedly as he approached, and saw that the taijiya was sitting up, rubbing her eyes as if she had been sleeping. Jaken sat the jug of water down beside Sango without a word, and then went to sit opposite her, keeping the small fire between them. He leaned against a rock and closed his eyes, relieved that at least there was someone else around to watch Rin and he could take a break.

"The flowers are beautiful, Rin," said Sango, stifling a yawn and looking up at the sky. She was surprised to see that the sun was quite low. _I must have slept longer than I thought._ She removed her boot and rolled up her armor, reaching for the jug of water. Once again she found herself wishing she had a cloth to use, but decided that pouring the cool liquid directly over the throbbing wound on her calf would have to do. Sango picked up the jug easily and tipped it a bit, letting the water pour down her leg. She hissed as it hit the wound, biting back a scream.

"Sango-chan, are you alright?" asked Rin, kneeling down beside the taijiya. "Do you want me to help you?"

Sango nodded her head. "Rin, can you see if you can find me something to use as a bandage? I need to get the bleeding to stop, and I don't have anything."

The little girl immediately untied her kimono and handed the sash to Sango. "Here, you can use this. I don't really like to keep it tied, anyway, it doesn't fit me right."

The taijiya smiled and took the sash, submerging it in the water before tying it tightly around her leg. The pressure took away almost all of the pain instantly, and she let out a sigh of relief. Yawning once more, she laid back on the grass and stared up at the sky. Rin sat down beside her and began to tie the flowers together, humming softly to herself. Sango allowed herself to get lost in the little girl's melody, and soon her eyes had drifted closed again.

_She felt a sharp pain in her back, and stumbled forward a few steps before falling to her knees. She turned her head and saw Kohaku standing behind her, the chain from his weapon still in his hands, leading towards her. His eyes were completely blank. She reached around behind her, the movement causing flashes of pain to shoot through her body. She cried out when she felt his blade embedded in her flesh._

_"K..Kohaku...why?" she whispered._

_The sound of her voice seemed to snap the young boy out of the trance he had been in. "Nee-chan... What have I done?" _

_He rushed forward, trying to reach her, to help her, but was cut down by a barrage of arrows. She screamed as they hit his small body, and watched him fall in slow motion. Crawling slowly, she moved towards his body, collapsing on top of his still form._

_"Kohaku...I'm here...everything will be alright," she said, trying to hold back her tears._

_There was no response._

_Despite the pain it caused her, she rose to her feet, and took a few steps forward. But before she could reach him, the man who had summoned them to their deaths, the archers let fly another round of arrows. She was driven back as they hit her, landing on top of her brother's body. The world went black..._

"KOHAKU!!!!"

She sat up straight, shaking, the world a blur around her. She didn't remember where she was, or what was going on. The scar on her back was throbbing, and Sango screamed out in pain, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, she felt a strong pair of hands grip her shoulders.

"Taijiya."

She managed to pull herself back together enough to recognize the voice speaking behind her. _Sesshoumaru...what is he doing here? And why is he talking to me? Where am I?_ Sango turned her head, tears still running down her cheeks, and looked into his eyes. "Sesshoumaru..." she whispered, barely able to speak. Then it all came back to her, and she remembered exactly why she was with the taiyoukai. Forcing herself to regain her composure, she leaned forward, trying to dislodge his hands from her shoulders, but he wouldn't let go. "What do you want from me now?"

He tightened his grip on her small shoulders and roughly turned the taijiya around to face him, letting his hands drop back to his sides as soon as she was looking at him. Her skin was pale, and her eyes held the look of someone who was in fear for their life. "Come with me," he said, pulling her gently to her feet. "I wish to speak with you, privately." Sesshoumaru cast a glance at Rin and Jaken, silently telling them that if either of them tried to interfere there would be dire consequences. He motioned for her to get to her feet, and she did so as quickly as her injured leg would allow her to.

"Where are we going? Sesshoumaru? What is it that want to talk to me about now? It's not as if you care..." Sango said, stumbling along behind him, her injured leg almost numb because she had Rin's shash tied so tightly around it. "I am not in the mood for a lecture, so if that's what your planning, just let me go back to the camp now and try to find something for Rin and me to eat."

They had walked into a small clearing; the trees were so tall that Sango couldn't see the tops of them, and only a few slivers of sunlight managed to find their way through to the ground. Sesshoumaru motioned for her to sit, and she gladly allowed her legs to collapse out from under her, mentally and physically exhausted. The taiyoukai moved to stand in front of her, never taking his eyes off of her. It felt to Sango almost as if he were trying to see into her soul.

"Sesshoumaru..." she said, but immediately closed her lips when he put his hand up to silence her.

"Who is it that you were calling out to in your sleep? You said someone's name...'Kohaku'. What does he mean, to you?"

The taijiya blinked her eyes in shock. Was he really asking her to tell him about herself, about her family? It was completely unbelieveable that this cold-hearted taiyoukai would want to know anything about her other than that her life, essentially, belonged to him. And yet it had been so long since she had had the opportunity to speak of the ordeals she had been through, she couldn't stop herself, even if he didn't really care.

"Kohaku...he is...he was...my brother. I lost him to Naraku, just like I lost everyone else that I cared about." Sango pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them. "My father, everyone who was there...Naraku made my brother kill them all. And there was nothing I could do about it besides watch. I couldn't stop him, I couldn't stop Naraku, I couldn't do anything!"

She felt as if she was going to burst into tears again at any moment, but wasn't about to allow herself to cry in front of Sesshoumaru yet again. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Once everyone else was dead, Naraku turned Kohaku against me. He...he attacked me, and I couldn't defend myself, wouldn't defend myself. How could I fight against my own brother, the only family that I had left? I just...I let him defeat me..."

The taijiya swallowed the lump in her throat, and allowed her eyes to lock with the taiyoukai's for a brief moment. The way his golden eyes were staring into her's was almost making her feel uncomfortable, and so she looked back down at the ground, speaking in a whipser. "Naraku persuaded several youkai, with shards from the Shikon jewel, to destroy my village. There was nothing left...nothing at all...I was under Naraku's control too, for a time. I attacked Inuyasha...I was convinced that he was the one who had killed my comrades. Naraku...he's taken everything away from me. My family, my home, myself...and now Miroku, too. But, you wouldn't understand. You don't...care about anyone, or anything..."

Sango got to her feet and turned away from him. She felt foolish for having said anything at all. Why couldn't she have just brushed it off, told him that it didn't matter? "I'm going back. Rin will be hungry, and I'm sure that Jaken isn't going to find anything for her..." She began to walk slowly back towards camp, resisting the urge to turn around and see if he was following.

"Sango, you focus too much on your past," Sesshoumaru said, quickly moving forward so that he was once again standing in front of her, blocking her escape. He did understand revenge, better than anyone else. It was what he lived for, what fueled his desire for perfection every day. "Do not allow yourself to think of what Naraku has taken from you. When the time comes for you to fight against him, your emotions will only get in the way. Forget everything. Live to defeat him. That is the only way you are going to win." Without another word, he turned and led the way back to camp. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange sort of compassion for the young taijiya. His only hope now was that she would take his advice to heart and when they did meet Naraku she would fight with her head and not her heart. Emotions were nothing but a foolish waste of time.

Sango sighed. He made it sound so easy, to just forget it all. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts so that Rin wouldn't realize there was anything wrong, she walked slowly behind him, keeping enough distance between them so that she wouldn't feel the urge to speak, and couldn't see those eyes...those cold, piercing eyes.


End file.
